Kallybykk
by Piroteknyk
Summary: The story of Kallybykk, a wookiee of Kashyyyk who discovers his Force sensitivity and goes on to become a great Jedi Master. Rated T for language and suggestive themes, romance will be added in later chapters and it may or may not change to M around that time. Wookiee Jedi are my favorite concept in Star Wars, and this one is my own creation from Star Wars: Galaxies. Please R&R!
1. Shadowy encounters

_**Kallybykk**_

My name is Kallybykk. Like most of my kind, I was born high in the trees, among the cities built into the worshyyr trees of Kashyyyk. Unlike most of my kind, however, I've never seen the appeal in gaining honor through slaying a beast, or known the value of succeeding in the arena. I spent most of my youth among the trees, swinging and climbing, or studying galactic history or learning from the Elders. Of course I went hunting, all wookiees had to do their part to provide for the village and their families, but I would much rather spend my time alone in the treetops, the sounds and sights and smells of the lush green forest filling my senses was the best feeling in the whole of the galaxy.

My opportunities to go do as I pleased were becoming slimmer and slimmer as I got older and my responsibilities became greater, so I seized every chance to escape to the trees I knew so well. This is one of them.

With practiced ease, I slid down a sloping branch with my knees bent and my right hand held in front of me for balance. I launched myself off of it as I came near a curve in the branch, sending me out of that tree and sailing towards the overhanging branch of another. I knew these trees well enough that I instinctively extended a hand to grab an overhanging limb to avoid falling to my death. Using my momentum to spin around with the tree limb as a center of rotation, I let go when my feet point straight up, throwing me about a meter above the limb. I spun backward flip and landed steadily on the living piece of wood, digging my claws into the bark to ensure I don't slip.

The bark was warm under my paw pads, and I could practically feel the massive tree pulsing and thrumming with life. I traversed through the trees on my usual path for another standard hour or so, but that day was different from all the others. I didn't finish my circle back to the village, but instead began a slow descent to the forest floor. My parents had always warned me to stay away from the Shadowlands, telling me about the dangers of large beasts and strange plants, and that only a fool would go alone. Great warriors would go to the Shadowlands to prove their might against the massive katarn beasts, and even then most would go in groups. Those who didn't rarely came back. For some reason, I wasn't frightened, only curious. I knew the trees and the forest better than I knew myself, and I had been climbing them for as long as I can remember, but the Shadowlands were a mystery. I wanted—no, needed—something new. Something exciting! I knew it was probably a foolish notion, that I shouldn't have even considered delving into the unknown, especially this particular unknown; if great and confident warriors went and didn't come back, what chance did I have?

_Then again, _I thought,_ I am more observant than the others, and quicker, too. Besides, it's not like I'm going hunting, just exploring. _Mind set, I strayed from the path back to the village I had memorized and began my decent to the forest floor.

I soon saw why it was called the Shadowlands. The bright greens and light browns became dark and shadowy, sunlight no longer able to pierce the thick canopy above me. I eventually came to the closest point to the ground I could, approximately three meters above the ground, and drop down from my platform to hang by my fingers and drop to the ground landing in a low crouch. I start to think this may have been a bad idea. The forest feels... wrong. The ground beneath my feet is cold, as if untouched by life. The sounds of predators and prey are almost sadistic, and my sensitive nose no longer tasted the usual aroma of the trees as I did when I higher up. My brow furrows and I shiver lightly, the white and black fur on my body rippling briefly.

Regardless of my unease, I was not backing out like a coward, I was not going to climb back back up as soon as I touch down. No, I was going to do what I came to do; explore and gather knowledge of the land.

Very cautiously, I begin to move forward, my body tense and alert, ready to react to the slightest noise or movement. Like every other member of my village, I was required to compete in the arena to test my combat ability. Thanks to my awareness, speed and agility gained from having to be completely in tune with my surroundings, I came out on top almost every time. The constant physical and mental labor made me one of our fiercest, and I wasn't exactly not below average in size, either. But that was an arena, and I was still only a child. In fact, had I tried my hand against one of our scouts, I was sure every bone in my body would have been broken.

I wasn't trained or prepared to face the Shadowlands like many of our older wookiees, but I try to remain calm and aware, as well as somewhat secure in my ability to handle something unexpected. Eventually, after not running into any trouble, I calmed down enough to try and take in my surroundings. The feeling of unease remained, but I was still very intrigued by some of what I found—flowers and plants I'd never seen before, glowing grasses and fungi in darker, damper areas, timid creatures that scurried away at the sight of me. And something else I would have been quite content not to have encountered.

I squatted down by the roots of one of the trees and saw a strange, squirrel-looking creature gnawing on some kind of plant. Curiosity aroused, (damn it) I extended a hand toward it. It sniffed the tips of my fingers, sat bolt upright and then scurried away. Confused, I turned away and realized with wide eyes that it wasn't running from me, as I come face-to-fangs with a katarn.

I stood completely still, more out of shock than caution, and it snorted at me. Seconds later, I found myself leaping backwards at it tries to take a bite out of me. I tripped over a root, and instinctively turned it into a back handspring to keep from landing on my back and becoming winded. No sooner than I was back on my feet was it charging for me. Having no room or time to do anything else, I grabbed it by the fangs sticking up from it's jaw and and was pushed back two meters. Summoning all my strength, I dragged it to the side, amazed at the strength I was able to summon when I was terrified and fighting for my life, and threw it to the ground. _Shit, that just made it mad._ It roared in fury and rolled back to it's feet, thrashing wildly. There was no way I would be able to summon the strength to do that again, so as it ran at me the second time, I leaped over it and spun in the air as I did so to avoid having my back to it.

_I'm going to die here, _I thought, running low on energy and not daring running away and risking the possibility of being trampled by it. _Damn it! What the hell was I thinking?! _

I finally accepted that death was inevitable, and that I was foolish to come here to sate my curiosity, but I was not go down without a fight. With new conviction, I felt something. It was as if massive floodgates had been opened and were slamming me with a sudden rush of energy energy I never knew I had access to. Snarling, I threw out my arms to grapple the monster once more, but it never reached me.

I looked at the body of the katarn, whose back plates had been shattered upon making contact with one of the worshyyr trees, stunned. _W-what... was that?_

I looked down at my hands and saw nothing. I felt tired again. Then it clicked. _Did I just... use the Force? _Force sensitives among wookiees were very rare, and most of them were just shamans, not many could use the Force like a Jedi. Yet here I stood, before the body of a katarn I'd slain without touching.

_I've got to get back, _I thought to myself, _Maybe I should take that with me to show them. There's no way I'm moving it by hand._ _Maybe... _I held out my right hand scowl at the dead creature. It doesn't move. _Damn... _I shrugged and forgot about it

Invigorated, I turned to find tree with a low-hanging branch to grab onto. I spotted one, ran up the trunk with a little assistance from my bottom claws gripping the bark, and grabbed the limb of the worshyyr tree. With new determination, and mind ablaze with questions, I made my way back to my path and and to my village.


	2. The Chief's Offer

My head was swimming. What had happened only minutes ago was practically unheard of. All beings were connected to the Force, I knew that much, but the ability to manipulate it like that was almost impossible for my kind. The few shamans who could use the Force were very limited in their abilities, seeing visions of the future from time to time or healing minor injuries, but to use the Force such as the Jedi did, it was unfathomable.

As fast as I could without injuring myself, I climbed higher and higher into the trees. Soon enough, I saw the torches and lanterns lining the walkways of my village. One of the lookouts, Tenokka, saw my approach and scowled through obsidian fur. I landed on the branch I would normally use to jump down from the trees to the walkways of my home, bent my knees and launched myself off. I would normally land two meters away from Tenokka, but I went farther this time, the extra push seeming to come from nowhere. I came to a halt a mere two feet from him.

He growled a curse and stepped back in surprise, "Mind where you jump, boy!" he barked.

I sighed, "sorry, Tenokka, it seems I don't know my own strength these days."

He grunted and glared at me, "you're late." he said gruffly. It was true, I should have been back over an hour ago, but I was... distracted.

"I lost track of time," I said, moving to shoulder passed him.

He planted a hand firmly on my chest and held me in place, "Where were you?"

I avoided his gaze, "climbing."

"You climb every day and always come back at the same time, why is today different?" His tone wasn't accusing, just aggravated.

"I have to be somewhere, let's do this another time," I said, once again trying to move around him.

He grabbed a handful of my chest fur and pulls me roughly in front of him, looking me in the eye, "Kallybykk. where. Were. You?"

_Damn it. _"The Shadowlands." I said finally.

"You stupid fool!" He roared, shoving me away from him. I tripped over my feet and landed on my back, but I sprung to my feet in an instant, crouching low and pivoting three-hundred-sixty degrees on my left foot, throwing out my right foot and kicking Tenokka's feet out from under him before he can react. He wildly swung the shaft of his spear and the butt catches me in the chin. I stumbled back momentarily dazed, and when I came to my senses he was already back on his feet and heading straight for me.

We were drawing a crowd. Some of the women and children were giving concerned looks but none dared to interfere. Others were pumping their fists and encouraging the conflict, seeing it as a matter of honor to settled between men.

Tenokka swung the blunt end of his spear at me and I duck under it before leaping back. I didn't want to fight him, it was more of a defensive reflex than an active threat, but it's too late to think about hat now, Tenokka wasn't going to accept what I had to say. I dodged his blows as best I could but they just kept coming. he was swinging faster and faster, determined to land a blow teach me some respect. He had me backing up, and as I near the edge of the walkway, I snapped. Time slowed down for me and my strength was a hundred times what it had previously been. As his spear butt arced toward my face, I snatched it in my right hand without telling my body what to do, as if it so in tune with the combat that my hand didn't require conscious instruction to guide it. I gripped the shaft with both hands and ripped the weapon from Tenokka's grasp, who now wore an expression of shock and confusion rather than anger. I flicked the long weapon off to the side and send it spinning off into the trees.

As I roared the word, "ENOUGH!" I pulled back both of my hands, again without conscious thought, feeling a disturbance in the air around them and threw them both forward. The air around my hands rippled, and a powerful shock-wave exploded from from my palms. Tenokka was thrown backward down the entire length of the walkway into the trunk of the tree the village was built on as if he weighed no more than a gizka. The wooden floorboards splintered and cracked as the sudden gust of energy left it's impression. Tenokka struck the unyielding trunk heavily, and fell to the ground with a thud. As suddenly as the series of events started started, they stopped, filling the air with stunned silence.

My eyes widened and I stared at my hands for the second time that day. _What the hell is happening to me!?_

If it were possible with my language, the air would have been filled with quiet murmurs, but as it were, the throaty grunts of Shyriiwook are quite audible; "what just happened?" "what is he?" "did he just use the Force?" "how is this possible?"

The voices died down as the steady thump of wood on wood arose, and the crowd parted to reveal our chieftain. Zaalbar. Even in his age, he wears an air of power and authority, yet retains his kind and honorable face. His once vibrant brown fur had gone gray long ago, and hebore the ceremonial garb of our chief, holding an ornate wooden staff in one hand, with the reforged Blade of Bacca ever present on his back.

I froze, and Zaalbar walked over to the still form of Tenokka, bending down to inspect the scout. "Calm yourselves," the old chieftain said loudly, "He yet draws breath. Get him inside and look after him." He nodded to one of the honor guards walking beside him and the wookiee quickly moved to assist Tenokka. Zaalbar looked at me with a cool expression and said in a voice that offers more patience and accepting than I deserved, "Might I have a word, Kallybykk?"

I know I'm sweating, and I swallow heavily, shaking slightly, "O-of course, Chie-"

"Zaalbar, if you will."

I swallow again. This was the kind of man that deserved his power. "Of course, Zaalbar," I said more calmly. I followed him back to his home, larger and more ornate than any other in the village, and he lead me inside to sit down next to a stone hearth.

"Now," he said, pouring tea for both of us,"tell me. What was your quarrel with Tenokka?" I took the tea graciously, needing something to occupy my hands as well as warm my chilled frame.

I was confused. He didn't seem perplexed by the unnatural outcome of the fight? I struggled for a response, but the words refused to entertain me.

He raised an eyebrow expectantly, and says, "I understand you enjoy going out into the wilds in your free time. Becoming one with the forest?"

I nodded

"And from the looks of things, your conflict erupted shortly after your return. now why is that? You do this often without arousing problems. And now... "

I knew better than to lie to his face. He would have seen straight through it. And he didn't deserve that, not in the least. "I went to the Shadowlands," I admit, "he thought me a fool and pushed me. I reacted purely out of self defense, I did not mean to escalate things."

"The Shadowlands, you say?"

I look at the floor, "Yes."

He laughed—wait, laughed? "Good man!" I looked at him perplexed and he elaborated, "Going into the Shadowlands alone and unprepared and coming back without a scratch is quite the feat. Tenokka was likely jealous, or worried about you. Tell me, did the beasts give you any trouble?"

I nodded again, "There was a katarn."

He smiles at me, "And how did you fare? Well, since you're alive and well, that's not the best question I suppose, but how did you best it?"

Seizing the opportunity to change to the subject I wanted, I say, "The same way I... Incapacitated Tenokka," I told him, "If it's alright, I have a question for you, Chieft—Zaalbar." He nods for me to ask, "You didn't seem at all surprised by what happened out there—why?"

He looked at me with fire in his eyes, "Kallybykk, in my youth, I traveled with Darth Revan. I've seen many strange and amazing things accomplished by him and by my allies that should be impossible for ordinary men. To you, I say, the Force works in mysterious ways. Nothing surprises me anymore. Our species may not have the strongest connection to the Force, but seeing one as gifted as yourself possessing the ability does not seem strange to me in the least."

I nodded, slowly absorbing his words. I knew he traveled with Revan, everyone did. Revan helped secure his place as Chieftain by helping him recover Bacca's Blade and dethroning his brother who had usurped their father and banished him to the Shadowlands. If not for Revan, Zaalbar may not have been there talking to me. _The Force works in mysterious ways..._

"You have an amazing gift, Kallybykk. If you wish, you may train with our shamans for a while to attune yourself and gain control and discipline. And if you so chose, we will allow you to go to Tython and see if the Jedi will train you."

My eyes widened, and I become filled with a sense of joy I'd not thought possible. _Tython! I could be a Jedi! _"that would be..." I start, at a loss for words, "amazing. Beyond amazing. Thank you, Zaalbar."

He grins slyly at me, "Don't thank me just yet," he says, "I'm still going to make you apologize to Tenokka"


	3. Decision

I had already been training with the shamans for a year. I was learning to focus my thoughts, channel the Force, and maintain some control over it instead of having these episodes that only occurred when my heart was pumping. The shamans were a great deal of help, but there was only so much they could teach me; they simply didn't experience the Force like I did. I was amazed at the things they _were_ able to teach me. Things like seeing a short distance into the future, curing a cub of his cough, even sensing the presence of another while blindfolded! It definitely improved my combat ability. My senses became more acute, my reflexes faster, and I was able to sense when an opponent approached from behind and was able to act accordingly.

But it wasn't my full potential. Much of my new skills I had to teach myself through trial and error. Thanks to the shaman's mental exercises; hours of meditation, burning herbs meant to heighten mental focus, balance exercises and focused sparing, I felt a very strong connection to the earth. It still took me a month to be able to levitate something larger than a totem, but could I feel myself improving, growing stronger with each passing day. It was frustrating sometimes. I became aggravated when I couldn't grasp a concept, or when a skill came to me slower than I would have liked it to. Ovoath, the head shaman, said I needed to learn patience. I knew I did! but saying it is easier than acquiring it. I had an unquenchable thirst to absorb every grain of knowledge about the Force that I possibly could, as fast as I could.

One day, I stood in an open arena-like platform, surrounded by branches and vegetation, it was a circular wooden flooring covered by an inch of sand, proximately ten meters in diameter. In the center of the platform, several stone pillars had been erected, adorned with hoops of varying sizes at different locations. At the base of the pillars, a pile of stones about the size of my head. I had been training for a good two years, and my progress is showing, I can lift heavy objects if I concentrate, but I'm lacking in control. That's what this exercise was all about.

Ovoath stands behind me, an older, snow white wookiee holding a decorative staff and wearing a cloak of black feathers. To pass this exercise, he said I must lift the stones, and pass them through the hoops without knocking down the hoops or the pillars. I had been going at it for at least an hour. My fur is matted, I'm breathing heavily, my eyes are straining and I have a massive headache. I have my hand held out in front of me, guiding the third and last stone through the hoops. My arm started to shake as I passed it through the first hoop, and I froze. The stone vibrated for a moment, then stopped. I took a deep, steadying breath and tried again. In my fatigue and haste, however, my arm spasmed violently, and the rock collided hard with the tall, thick pillar of stone. The pillar began to tip slowly, taunting me. and one by one, all the pillars crash into each other and fall to the ground, spraying sand up in every direction, with the first domino landing on top of them.

I roared fiercely, pulled back my tired arm and threw it forward, a large pulse exploding from my palm, spraying sand everywhere and tossing the pile of rubble and debris to the other side of the arena as if it weighed nothing. That was the other problem I had, when I got angry or frustrated or stressed, the power came easily, but without control and only minimal guidance.

Ovoath pounds his staff into the sand, "Calm yourself, Kallybykk!"

"That's easy for you to say!" I snap, "I'd like to see you try and lift _one _of those damned stones!"

His staffed cracked across my face faster than a blink and I stood there rubbing my jaw, breathing heavily. "We are trying to teach you control! You will never learn true mastery of the Force if you do not learn mastery over yourself first!"

"I'm trying." I said.

"Try harder!" he replied firmly.

I snorted, "I'm going to go clear my head."

He made a motion as if to stop me, but I was already gone, sailing through the trees just like I used to. I made regular trips to the Shadowlands now. Nothing about that place frightened me anymore, and I knew how to handle myself far better than I used to if worse came to worst.

Sliding down the trunk of a worshyyr, I examined my surroundings. There were the remains of what looked to be a small hut nearby. _Who in their right mind would want to live down here? _It was long abandoned and overgrown, and there was no sign of animal disturbance around it. It looked as good a place as any to meditate and recollect myself. I didn't go inside, the door was sealed with rust and overgrown so thickly that I would have had to rip the door from it's hinges to get inside. Aside from that, the opening was not meant for my kind, but something smaller. Shrugging, I sat crosslegged in front of the hut, and began to meditate on the Force.

It felt strangely... Alive? As if the surrounding area had left an impression in the very air around it. Now that I was focusing on my surroundings, the small hut was practically giving off it's own aura. I focused on it, drew power from it, and I fell into a meditative trance faster than I had in a long time, and I even started receiving visions. Vivid ones! I saw an old hermit. Was that a lightsaber? He was a Jedi! Surrounded by katarn beasts. He dispatched them with ease, his green blade a blur in the dark of the jungle. He is approached by a man. Clearly powerful, I can almost feel his presence though I know he's not real. I can't make out his face, it's blurred somehow. He is flanked by three people, a Jedi woman, a twi'lek child and a young wookiee. The wookiee looked vaguely famili—Zaalbar!

My eyes snapped open, I felt a disturbance in the Force and I scrambled to my feet. My eyes went wide, my jaw went slack when the sight confronted me. An iridescent blue figure stood before me. It looked like a human man. Old. The man from my vision. Jolee Bindo.

"Well, well, look who decided to grace my humble abode with his presence. Hello Kallybykk." Jolee said.

I was at a loss for words.

"You gonna just sit there like a slack-jawed child or you gonna say something? This ain't exactly a a parlor trick!"

"I... I—" He cut me off.

"Yeah, yeah, you're amazed, frightened, in utter awe, shocked to see an old ghost still rocking on his front porch refusing to just lay in the dirt he was buried in, right?"

This was the legendary Jedi Master?

"Well come one! Speak! Out with it, I don't have all day to bark at you!"

"Why are you—"

"Here? Because you woke me up, much to my dismay and now I guess the Force wants me to give you some words of enlightenment. That is why you came here, isn't it?"

"I... I just came down here to meditate. I came by this little hut on acciden—"

"There are no accidents when it comes between Jedi, boy. You found an ancient Jedi hideaway, twitched your nose, wiggled your fingers and poof! Out comes the genie chewing off your ear like any old man would do." When I didn't say anything, he continued. "Look, I can sense your frustration. I may be dead, but I wasn't senile when I died! At least I don't remember being senile...Wait, where was I..? Oh, right! Kid, you've got to have patience. Learning to use the Force isn't something that just happens. You have to work at it. Your shamans don't know anything about the Force except totems and miracle flu remedies, you won't learn what you need to if you stay here."

"But what other choice do I have?"

"go to Tython, fool! Train with Jedi, the ones with _real _control over the Force. Well don't just—" He stopped, a look of dread crossing his wrinkled face. At the same time he stopped speaking, I sensed a disturbance in the Force once more. My fur bristled and a chill went down my spine.

"What was—"

"Get back to your village. Go!" he barked.

I blinked, and he was gone.

I wasted no time. Fast as hyperspace, I shot through the trees, climbing higher and higher above the Shadowlands and back to my village.

In mere minutes, I could see the light of the scout lanterns in the distance. No... Those weren't lanters, they were too big to be... _No. _"NOOOO!" I screamed. I bent my legs on the branch I was standing on, my muscles bunched, the bark shattered and I was sent sailing through the hair like a bolt from a bowcaster.

I was on the walkway in under a minute.

The site I was greeted with turned my stomach. Homes were burning. Wookiees were screaming, bleeding, fighting. Large, scaled monsters dragging the wookiees into cages next to modified cargo freighters.

My blood boiled, and I was filled with unbridled, blazing fury and hatred. The Trandoshian slavers would not leave this place alive.

I ran at the first group of them I saw; it took four of them with shock prods to bring Zaalbar to his knees and still, even at his year he gave them much trouble. They never stood a chance when I arrived. The first, I grabbed from behind, trapping it's head in the crook of my elbow and crushing it's skull. I threw the lifeless corpse to the ground as the second turned on me with a shock prod pulled back to jab at me, but I quickly pulled my arms back and shot them forward, sending the lizard-man back twenty yards and embedding his broken, lifeless body a good foot into a worshyyr tree. The third and fourth slavers finally collected themselves and got on either side of me. The one in front of me was using Bacca's Blade, pulled back with both hands to impale. My fury spiked as he pulled back to impale. Behind me, I could sense the other slaver preparing a garrote wire. The one behind me raised his arms to wrap the wire around my neck, and I ducked suddenly, the one in front of me thrusting the sword forward on instinct. I stepped aside and brought my fist to the sword wielder's chest, shattering his ribs and rupturing is vitals. Bacca's Blade had impaled his friend, rather than me, and I shot my foot back, releasing Force energy to throw it off of Bacca's Blade and over the safety rail of the walkway. I slowly stood, grabbed the ornate handle from the claws still clutching at it. The Trandoshian looked at me, terrified. I snarled at it, and a shock-wave erupted from my maw and forced it to the ground.

I knelt by Zaalbar and helped him to his feet. He was weak, bleeding in several areas but none were fatal.

"Thank you, Kallybykk." he said hoarsely. "Go, help the others, I'll be fine." I looked up and saw one of his honor guard running to his aid. I nodded at him and motioned to give him Bacca's Blade, but he stopped me. "That weapon belongs in the hands of a warrior who will protect his people. Take it. And drive those abominations from our home as Revan and I did Czerka long ago!"

I gripped The weapon tightly in my paw and wan off to defend my people, carving a path of destruction with Bacca's Blade.

When finally the last Slaver fell, and the remaining Trandoshians fled in their cargo ships, my fur was matted with sweat, I was covered in blood, none of it belonging to me. I raised the sword in my hand triumphantly and roared to the stars as a veil of rain pierced the canopy above. I looked at my surroundings. Men and women and children, warriors, scouts, hunters and artisans, all eyes were locked on me. A group of them started roaring and pumping their fists, and the rest soon followed.

I remembered my conversation with Jolee Bindo. "Go to Tython", he had said. _Tython... Is this what being a Jedi feels like? Alright old man, you win._

I returned Bacca's Blade to it's proper place in the throne room, and went to go pack my things. I didn't want to keep the Jedi Council waiting.


	4. Departure and Arrival

With a grunt, I pulled the last string of my pack tight, securing the rest of what little I needed; my ceremonial sword (I returned Bacca's Blade to Zaalbar, refusing to take the item away from Kashyyyk), some formal wear to don before meeting the Jedi council lest they view me as a simple warrior, my data pad, a small amount of food and a couple of objects to help me focus and meditate.

I walked over to my wash basin and looked into the mirror suspended over it. I was freshly washed, my black and white fur nice and bright, rather than matted with dirt and sweat rather than the blood from the previous night, yet retaining it's earthy smell. My fur was longer than most of the others', which allows me to style it the way I want. I took a good half hour to weave a braid into each of my cheeks and my chin, as well as pull some of it back behind my head and weave one there, securing it with tribal beads and a leather cord.

Satisfied with my appearance, I grabbed my pack and sling it over my shoulder, carefully avoiding the sharp edge of my sword secured on the outside. I rolled my shoulders, anxious, and walk out of my home.

As I walk down the wooden walkways to our small space port, I notice I am receiving looks from the residents of my village. Most are ones of thanks, appreciation, some are awed and some sonfused. I payed them no heed and walked purposefully to the space port, where Zaalbar had given me permission to use his star ship, The Pride of Kashyyyk, to fly to Tython.

I nodded to the dock manager, who held up a hand to stop me from entering the dock where the ship sat idle.

"I can't let you in there," He says, dutifully, "that's a private dock."

I show him the credentials Zaalbar had given me to allow me through the doors and he cocks an eyebrow, "Tython, huh?"

I nodded.

Then something in his mind clicked, his eyes went wide and he said, "it's you! You saved us all last night. Thank you." He bowed low, showing a great deal of respect and I felt just a bit embarrassed. "you're going to Tython to become a Jedi right?"

I nodded again slowly.

"I'm sure you'll do great! I'll go ahead and unlock the hangar."

The Pride of Kashyyyk. It was a small fighter, looking very much like something you would find on Kashyyyk, two blasters on each of the wings, small ordinance launcher on the bottom of the hull, and a one man cockpit. From what Zaalbar told me, it's well deserving of it's name. Fast, good hyper drive, great maneuverability, sturdy hull and a good shield generator. Not that I expected to do any fighting above the planets, but it was good to know I wasn't defenseless if I needed to. Best of all, it could get me to Tython with the coordinates already plotted into the navicomputer.

I jogged up to the ladder leading to the cockpit, jump in and secure my bag in a nook to my right. I strap myself into the seat, close the blast shield and activate the fighter. The vessel thrummed to life and I grabbed the controls, slowly raising the ship and easing out of the hangar before accelerating and speeding off into the stars.

I couldn't help but look down as the planet dropped out beneath me and smile at the freedom and the thought that soon, I would be on my way to becoming a Jedi Knight.

Once I'm out of the atmosphere, I dial in the coordinates and punch the red button with a grin. The stars stretch, I lean back in my seat and the next thing I know, I'm shooting forward, en route to Tython.

I could feel the ship start to slow down, and the tunneling effect of hyperspace travel ended, being replaced by stars and planets again. I smiled broadly as I looked ahead to the planet Tython, home of the Jedi.

I wasted no time flying to the space port, requesting permission to dock and landing in an empty hangar bay. I jumped out of the cockpit, but quickly realize I forgot to grab my bag. Instinctively, I spin around and reach out my hand to try and grab it, but before I knew it, I was holding it by the strap. I grinned and ran to the lift to the shuttle, impatient to get started.

It moved impossibly slow, but when the doors finally opened, I dashed out of them, startling a master and apprentice as I pass. I see the shuttle and, behind it, a force field giving me a good view of the planet.

A young human wearing simple robes stood in front of the shuttle, holding a data pad and making notes of who comes and goes. _Bingo_

I ran up to him and he looked up into my chest, startled, before slowly raising his head even further to get a view of my furry face. "I... uh... c-can I help you?"

"I need a shuttle down to the planet's surface!" I told him, excitement coming off me in waves.

"I-I'm sorry?"

"A shuttle! I need to speak to the council!"

He looked around quickly, nervousness painting his features, "M-master! Master Gendai!" he waved his arm frantically and I followed his gaze to an aging Jedi, wrinkled and white haired.

He walked up to us, smiling, and doesn't seem surprised in the least that I'm standing here, before saying, "yes, Nik? What seems to be the trouble?"

The boy, Nik, replied, "I can't understand what he's saying, Master. do you speak his language?"

Master Gendai smiled warmly at him and looked up at me, "My, you're a big fellow, aren't you? How can I help you today?"

"I, uh, need a shuttle to the surface," I reply, feeling a bit dazed.

"Oh? And what might one such as yourself need to visit the home of the Jedi for? Sight seeing, is it?"

I smiled at him. He may be acting clueless, but I know better, "Not exactly. I'm Force sensitive, I'd like very much to learn from the Jedi."

He chuckled at me, "A Force sensitive wookiee, you say? Now that is interesting... Nik, do prepare a shuttle for the two of us, I'd like to introduce this one to the Council myself."

"Yes, Master Gendai."

"Lovely!" he beams, "After you, my friend."

I grinned broadly at him and we board the shuttle.

"Now," he said as we find a pair of empty seats aboard the small shuttle, "do explain something for me?"

I nodded at him, "what would you like to know?"

"Now, I'm no expert on your kind, make no mistake, but I was under the impression that wookiees were unable to use the Force."

"Oh no, nothing like that," I explained, "you of all people should know that all life is touched by the Force,"

He smiled, as if sharing some private joke with himself, "of course."

"we're just weaker with it. Most Force sensitives among wookiees can only see flashes into the future, or heal a small wound, and only through great concentration. Someone like me is very rare among our kind."

"I see, and how did you discover your unnatural talent, my boy?"

"Ah, I was being a fool..."

"A fool?"

"Curiosity got the better of me, and I found myself engaged with a katarn."

"Oh my, that sounds like quite the dilemma."

I barked a throaty chuckle, "you don't know the half of it. I don't know what happened, I should be dead, but out of nowhere, my arms go up and the katarn is meters away from me, dead. I hadn't even touched it."

"Ah, you channeled the Force through reflex and self preservation, it seems."

"It seems that way. I couldn't control it at first, but our shaman helped me learn what they could teach. I still lose control sometimes. It happens so suddenly but when I'm not in control, it's like I explode with it."

"I see. Well, then, you came to the right place. We can teach you true mastery, and make you into a guardian of the light."

I smiled again (I seem to be doing a lot of that lately), "I think I like the sound of that."

He smiled back (Guess it's contagious), "Just you wait, friend, soon enough, they'll be calling _you _Master."

"Master Kallybykk..." I said, letting the words sit in the air for a moment, "Yes, I think I could get used to that!"

"Excellent," he said, getting up and beckoning for me to follow him through the shuttle doors. I hadn't even realized we'd taken off yet, "If you'll follow me? I'll get you an audience with the Jedi Council."

I got up to follow, grinning once again. _Master Kallybykk. I like it._


End file.
